Misfit Mansion - by Kay Davault

About the Book

"A spooky-sweet graphic novel about a monster girl who sneaks into a human town to find a family for herself and her mythical housemates, only to unravel long-kept secrets"--

Book Synopsis

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends meets Hilda and the Troll in this spooky and sweet middle grade graphic novel about a monster girl who sneaks out of her foster home and into a human town in search of a forever family but finds more than she bargained for.

Despite her monstrous appearance, Iris has never felt like she belongs in a mansion filled with kelpies and gorgons and unicorns. She longs to find a family. Unfortunately, she and her housemates are trapped in a "foster home for horrors" run by former paranormal investigator Mr. Halloway. So, when a human boy named Mathias breaks the house's sealing spell, Iris and her companions are set free upon the town of Dead End Springs.

What Iris doesn't know is that Mathias is also a paranormal hunter (the kind who seeks to capture and destroy the horrors), or that there are other dangers ahead. As Iris searches for a home, she makes human friends, explores a brand-new world...and stumbles upon a dark secret that Halloway has kept locked in the basement of the house. Will this long-slumbering mystery destroy the family Iris so desperately seeks?

Review Quotes

"A cartoonishly adorable monster cast populate the brightly colored pages of this uplifting tale. Through earnest and optimistic depictions of found family dynamics, Davault presents the ups and downs of relationships while emphasizing openness, communication, and acceptance."--Publishers Weekly "5/22/23"

"Readers who like their monsters cute as well as scary are in for a treat, as Davault fills her panels and montages with the (mostly) humanoid but variously horned, clawed, fanged, and multiheaded inhabitants of Mr. Halloway's Home for Horrors...A warm play on the theme of inclusivity, with horrors more huggable than otherwise."--Kirkus Reviews "5/15/23"

"The charming, stylized art is set in pleasingly muted colors and dynamic layouts that keep the eyes moving from scene to scene...It's fun to imagine a world where humans and fantasy creatures exist in harmony, and Davault has done just that."--Booklist "7/1/23"

About the Author

Kay Davault is an illustrator and comic artist based in Nashville, Tennessee. She is the author of the graphic novels Star Knights, Misfit Mansion, and Oddity Woods. Kay spends her time creating stories about cute characters in vibrant worlds, which may or may not contain a monster or five. Visit her at KayDavault.com or @KayDavault.